home sweet home efficiency

About a third of the energy used in the world powers buildings . . . and that means our homes! Coupled with the water and other resources we use every day, it all adds up to CONSUMPTION OVERKILL.

Five ways to test your home efficiency(and save money!)

The Bucket Test: If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, you can conserve water and save on your water bills by purchasing a low-flow shower head - they're very affordable and sometimes offered at no charge by water utility companies!

The Dye Test: Put a couple of drops of food colouring or another non-chemical dye in your toilet tank. If the dye reaches the toilet bowl within 30 minutes without flushing, you have a leak – call your plumber or handyman and stop paying for wasted toilet water!

The Incense Test: Carefully avoiding flammable objects, hold a burning incense stick up to doors, windows, electrical outlets, lighting fixtures, ducts, pipes—anything that might leak air without a proper seal. If the incense smoke waivers, you have a leak! Improving seals on your household fixtures can reduce your energy usage and save you money.

The Drip Test: Test all of your faucets (both indoors and out!) by turning them on at full blast for three seconds and them turning them off. If the faucet drips once you have turned it off, you can save water and money with a quick twist of a wrench!

The Waste Test: How many bags of garbage do you fill up each week? Challenge yourself to cut this amount in half by composting food waste, recycling when possible, and re-using materials. If your city or town doesn’t offer recycling or food waste collection, write to your leaders and ask for it!